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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Police Command Kogi State has launched a full-scale manhunt for perpetrators of separate violent attacks that rocked parts of Kogi State, leading to loss of lives,houses razed, and communities thrown into panic.
The command, in a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, ASP. Oyiza Afusat Saliu in Lokoja on Wednesday, disclosed that armed assailants invaded Edede Community on May 5, 2026, at about 4:00 p.m., unleashing terror on residents and killing one person identified as Nasiru Alias.
According to the police, the victim’s body was discovered dismembered after the attackers fled the area.
The attackers were also said to have set several houses ablaze, including a vehicle and a motorcycle, forcing residents to flee the community for safety.
She said following the attack, tactical police operatives were immediately deployed to the scene, but the community was reportedly deserted on arrival.
According to the police image maker,security agencies have intensified operations in and around the area through a reinforced joint security arrangement involving the Police, the Military, and local vigilantes.
The police said intelligence-led operations, coordinated patrols, and covert surveillance have commenced to identify and apprehend those behind the attack.
In another security crisis, the command confirmed a communal clash between Itale and Ishi communities in Ibaji Local Government Area on May 6, 2026.
The Divisional Police Officer in Ibaji reportedly received a distress call at about 7:04 a.m. informing the command that violence had erupted between the two communities.
A joint security team comprising police operatives, naval personnel, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and the Kogi State Vigilance Service was immediately mobilized to the troubled area.
On arrival, the security team met a tense atmosphere as several buildings and agricultural produce, including bags of rice, had already been set ablaze by suspected youths from Itale community.
The joint operatives, however, succeeded in dispersing the hoodlums and restoring calm to the area.
Police said two male corpses were later recovered from separate locations within Ishi community, while another victim sustained gunshot injuries from a pump-action rifle and was rushed to the General Hospital in Idah for medical treatment.
Investigators also recovered 57 rounds of expended cartridges from the scene of the violence.
The command disclosed that several persons of interest from both communities had been identified in connection with the clash.
The police assured residents that all individuals found culpable would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing, rapid deployment strategies, and the protection of lives and property across the state.
The Command urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and support security agencies with credible intelligence to aid ongoing investigations.
